Fred Vigeant has been appointed as the new general manager of public media station WPSU, stepping into the leadership role following WHYY’s acquisition of the central Pennsylvania broadcaster from Penn State University. Vigeant, currently serving as vice president and chief audience officer at Harrisburg’s WITF, will officially take the helm on October 26 to oversee radio and television operations across the region.
The leadership appointment marks a milestone in a transition for WPSU. Philadelphia-based public media organization WHYY formally assumed control of the station on October 1 after securing Federal Communications Commission approval in September. The ownership transfer came after Penn State announced it could no longer sustain the financial costs of operating the station and had initially slated WPSU for closure by June 30.
“Fred understands both the work of public media and the responsibility that comes with leading a station its community trusts,” Bill Marrazzo, president and CEO of WHYY Philadelphia, said in a statement.
Marrazzo added that Vigeant’s background in programming, production, and audience engagement will support WPSU in expanding its regional services and building upon its established strengths.
Leadership Background and Career History
Vigeant transitions to WPSU after spending time at WITF in Harrisburg, where he has held his current executive role since 2022, managing both programming and production portfolios. His tenure at WITF also includes previous work as the director of programming and production across the station’s television and radio networks.
Before his time in Harrisburg, Vigeant spent 12 years in New York state working as a program director and operations manager for WRVO in Oswego, New York. His career in public broadcasting positions him to guide WPSU through its post-acquisition era.
“I’m excited to join WPSU at an important moment in its 73-year history and to build on its strong tradition of public service,” Vigeant said. “This opportunity is especially meaningful to me because it brings together so much of what I value about public media – journalism, education, local storytelling and meaningful connections with the community.”
Transition Terms and Regional Operations
Under the terms of the transfer agreement between WHYY and Penn State, WPSU has preserved its name and call sign. The station’s operations will remain run in central Pennsylvania.
According to Penn State Senior Vice President for Finance and Business and Treasurer Sara Thorndike, all former WPSU employees were given the opportunity to interview for potential roles at the station under the new ownership structure.
Additional reporting from TV Tech indicates that WPSU’s updated personnel structure features Jeff Hughes serving as interim general manager during the transition, alongside Jon Widmer as director of technology, Emily Reddy as news director, Jeff Benzing as director of content and audience engagement, and Susan Chyzewski as director of education, grants and government relations. Search processes remain open for director of advancement and director of broadcasting and programming positions.
Coverage Area and Station History
Licensed to State College, Pennsylvania, WPSU operates an extensive broadcast footprint. Its full-power licenses and translators reach television audiences across 24 counties and radio listeners across 13 counties throughout central and northern Pennsylvania.
The station’s history in the commonwealth spans decades. WPSU first launched as a radio station in 1953 before expanding to incorporate television broadcasting services in 1965.
Vigeant will step into supervisory control over the station’s combined radio and television operations on October 26, working alongside the existing personnel and leadership team structured during the WHYY transition.
